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Tap of the app to treat male machismo

Megan Levy

A Melbourne hospital has launched an Australia-first iPhone application targeting blokes who are reluctant to seek medical advice or talk about their health concerns with their doctor.

The Alfred hospital’s myHealthMate application features a symptom checker allowing men to match certain areas of their body with over 50 common symptoms.

Dr Marco Bonollo, the head of the hospital’s disease management unit, said men represented about 60 per cent of admissions to the The Alfred, a statistic that was mirrored in hospitals around Australia.

Many men chose to ignore their symptoms until they became larger problems, he said.

‘‘I think traditionally it’s the Australian male’s machismo which prevents him from going to the doctor,’’ Dr Bonollo said.

‘‘I think we feel in somehow week or insecure if we go to the local doctor.’’

The application includes an interactive diagram of the human body, with links to symptoms the person may be experiencing.

It also includes advice from 17 health specialists about certain illnesses and where to seek help.

Dr Bonollo said the application was not intended for men to diagnose themselves.

‘‘If you’re experiencing chest pain you tap on the icon for chest pain, it gives you a menu that might be chest pain or breathlessness ... and allows you to follow that through,’’ he said.

‘‘It will provide some important immediate information. For instance if you’re experiencing chest pain we don’t encourage people to diagnose themselves, we expect them to get urgent medical advice.’’

He said the application - available free from Apple’s App Store - also contained comprehensive information on cancers afflicting men, including prostate and bowel cancer.